I tried to join the Ebay Developer's API in 1998 and along with myself and every other Snipe program software developer was turned down. I was told I could try to join again in six months or so. I checked back later to learn that for a commercial software program it would cost me $25,000 per year plus more $$ after so many hits to their site in month or something like that. It is a lot of money and a one time sale of a $20 software program is not going to support the costs of such a GreedBay developer program.. at least for the little guy.
Ebay has been making more noise lately about paying them to interface with their site. They have gone so far as to reduce the number closed auctions you can search from thirty days to two weeks and require you to sign in to view a closed auction. This is to deter data mining programs that are not licensed with Ebay to data mine their site.
The new Snipe engine has been called a Virtual You. It now tries to work more closely with the Ebay system rather then independently of it. It is also less susceptible to mission critical changes on Ebay. Because of the huge number of changes on Ebay with the look and feel of their site, frill features like getting the current bid amount and the like are more susceptible to changes, mostly because Ebay now says the what they used to say with one simple word with many simple little phrases. Some frill features have become almost bullet proof for example being able to determine if you won or lost the auction. This is exciting news because it has allowed me to introduce into Cricket a feature I have wanted to for years but my 100% for sure business rule didn't allow me to. The 100% for sure rule means, if Cricket can't be 100% for sure and it's mission critical, don't do it.
The bottom line is, Cricket is no longer the Sniper for you but instead he was demoted to manager or keeper of the Snipe. Bill Gates is sniping for you now so if Ebay has a problem with it, sue Mr. Gates.
Cricket now focuses on the signed in Snipe. It can Snipe with either bid form Ebay uses now but it will focus on signing you in first. When you retrieve auction data now with Cricket to set the Snipe, Cricket is going to do a Sign-In Conflict test. This basically means Cricket is going to see (1) if a user is signed into Ebay and if so, (2) which user id. If somehow another User ID becomes signed in, Cricket will make the correction. If you are always signed in on Ebay then you eliminate all of this.
Cricket main screen, auction retrieval
See that the auction is retrieved.
See that the sign-in conflict test is performed
If you clock has not been synched within 2 hours, synch your clock to atomic time
Check the official Ebay time and compare with your synch
If not signed in, sign you in.
This method will insure that your ID and Password is correct. Over the years auctions have been lost because a user changes their ID or Password and Cricket learned of it after it submitted the bid.
This method will also alert you to the fact that perhaps another User ID is signed into Ebay other then the one you want to use for sniping.
Set your Snipe and Cricket with either activate it right away or roster it for a later activation.
Snipe Screen - Visual Interface of the Snipe Engine
At the appropriate time Cricket will if using a dial up modem make sure your computer gets online.
It will see that your Snipe bid is still adequate with a bid confirmation with Ebay. Prior to this the program will see that the Sign-In Conflict test is performed just to make sure.
If not signed in, Cricket will see that your ID gets signed in then confirm your bid. It will check to make sure which bid form Ebay wants used.
It will count down the auction end time like it always has and periodically, once per minute retrieve the current bid amount and determine if your Snipe bid is still adequate.
The Pre-Snipe check at T-2 minutes to go will check to make sure everything is as it should be and if something is wrong for example, suddenly not signed in, a timer misfired and the confirmation didn't occur etc.. fix it.
At Snipe time Cricket will see that the Snipe is submitted for you.
Once the Snipe bid has been submitted Cricket like it always has will wait a bit then check the item page for the end result and declare you winner or loser or, that it does not know what the status is. At this point Cricket ends the Snipe session.
New Features
The program's options/settings window has a new Tab. It's called More Sniping. On this tab you tell Cricket
that you want to be alerted if your bid is not adequate when it confirms. Compare this new business rule to the former rule. Rule: You are a Sniper and Snipers set their max bid so if the confirmation reveals the bid is not adequate abort and terminate the Snipe. This new feature will only work if you are around to up your bid in the last 5-10 minutes to auction end.
This setting is a default setting but it can be toggled on and off per Snipe with the Snipe Screen loads. The end result if you want to be alerted is Cricket will hoist the New Bid dialog box and it will remain there until you come around and fix the problem. Of course Cricket can making a lot of racket if you are out bid before the auction ends!
that you want to always be signed into Ebay. In your MyEbay preferences this feature exists on Ebay. Cricket can see that remains the case for you.
that when Cricket sees that you are signed in that you want to use SSL - Note that SSL is not provided for the Bid Robot interface that when a Snipe is completed and you are the confirmed winner that you'd like Ebay to deliver to you the Pay It Now opening screen.
Is last second bidding or "Sniping" all you need to know about winning more Ebay auctions?
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